Quick-release fastener means



Nov. 25, 1969 c. w. LANHAM, JR 3,480,311

QUI CK-RELEASE FASTENER MEANS Filed June 5, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j ZINVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 25, 1969 C. W. LANHAM, JR

QUICK-RELEASE FASTENER MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1968 INVENTOR Charles W Lon/7am, Jr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,480,311 QUICK-RELEASE FASTENER MEANS Charles W. Lanham, Jr., Silver Spring, Md., assignor to Entron, llnc., Silver Spring, Md., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 5, 1968, Ser. No. 734,762 Int. Cl. F161) 1/00, 3/00, /00, 7/00 US. Cl. 28718.36 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Quick-release fastener means of the quarter-turn type, characterized by the provision of a segmented key member having a lower key portion, a shank portion extending upwardly through a vertical passage contained in an upper member, and a head portion at the upper end of said shank portion. Friction means are provided for rotating said key member from an unlocked position to a locked position when said key portion is inserted in a recess contained in a lower member in contiguous engagement with said upper member, following which further rotation of one of said key member portions causes said key and head portions to be displaced together to tightly fasten the upper and lower members.

It is well known in the patented prior art to provide quarter-turn fastener means of the quick release type including a key member that is rotatable between locked and unlocked positions relative to a locking recess or opening. Furthermore, as shown by the prior patents to Arndt No. 1,327,011 and De Lancey No. 2,568,387, it has been proposed to provide a key member that is segmented and includes a plurality of threadably connected sections, whereby following rotation of the key member to the locked position, the sections may be drawn together to rigidly fasten the parts together.

The present invention relates to an improved quickrelease quarter-turn fastener that includes a segmented key member the sections of which are both threadably and frictionally connected together, characterized in that the friction means comprises a layer of high resistance material arranged in the bore of the outer one of the threadably mounted sections. As a consequence of the invention, the required resistance between the threaded members may be inexpensively afforded by drag nut or drag thread means which permit initial rotation of the segmented key member from the unlocked to the locked position, and subsequent tightening of the segments to rigidly secure together a pair of members fastened thereby.

According to a specific feature of the invention, guiding recess means are provided on one member to properly orient the key so that the key portion automatically extends within a corresponding insertion recess when the members to be fastened are brought together. This is particularly desirable when, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastener means are utilized to rigidly lock together the pivotally connected cover and body sections of a container. When gasket means are provided between the container sections, final tightening of the segmented sections effects compression of the gasket means to afford a positive pressuretight seal.

3,480,331 1 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 ice According to one feature of the invention, the segmented key member comprises a drag nut head portion that is threadably mounted on a shank portion integral with a key portion. In accordance with a second embodiment, the key portion is threadably connected by drag nut means with a shank portion integral with the head portion. Finally, in accordance with the inventive concept a third embodiment includes a key member the shank portion of which consists of a pair of telescopic threadably connected sections of the drag nut type, the shank sections being integral with the key and head portions, respectively, of the key member.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a metallic container including the fastener means of the present invention, the cover being in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 1 the cover being pivoted to the open position;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are end and side elevation views, respectively, of the container of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are detailed sectional views taken along lines 5-5 and 6-6 of FIG. 1, respectively;

FIG. 7 is a detailed bottom view of the fastener means taken along line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8-10 are detailed top plan, sectional and bottom views, respectively, of one vertical passage contained in the upper member;

FIGS. 11-13 are detailed top plan, sectional and bottom views, respectively, of the recess means contained in the lower member; and

FIGS. 14 and 15 are partially sectioned views of two other embodiments of segmented key means in accord ance with the present invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-4, the container 2 includes cover and body sections 4 and 6 which are molded or cast from a suitable material, such as aluminum or a synthetic plastic, and are pivotally connected by pivot means 8. At their abutting edges, the sections have contiguous horizontal laterally extending flanges 4a, 6a that are sealed, when in the closed position, by gasket means 10 mounted in a corresponding groove 12 contained in the upper surface of the lower flange 6a.

For locking together the cover members and for tightening together the flange portions to compress the gasket means 10, there are provided, in accordance with the present invention, a plurality of peripherally spaced quick-release fasteners 16 of the quarter-turn type.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the fastener means 16 includes a segmented key member 18 having a horizontal non-circular key portion 18a, a vertical shank portion 18b that extends upwardly through a vertical passage 20 contained in the cover flange portion 4a, and the upper head portion 18c which, in the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, comprises a drag nut screwed upon the threaded upper extremity of shank portion 18b. As shown in FIG. 9, the passage 20 is counterbored to define an annular shoulder 22 adapted to support the lower end of a spring 24 that is arranged concentrically about shank portion 18b beneath nut 18c to bias the key member upwardly relative to the upper flange portion 4a. In the lower surface of flange 4a, a key member aiming recess 26 is provided for partially receiving the key portion 18a (as shown in FIG. 5) to align the same relative to the corresponding non-circular upper insertion portion 28a of a recess 28 contained in the lower flange portion 6a. The lower or locking portion 28b of the recess 28 is enlarged to define a locking shoulder 30 beneath which the key portion 18a is positioned when the fastener means is in the locked condition of FIG. 6.

In accordance with the present invention, at least a portion of the threaded bore of the nut or head portion 180 is defined by an annular layer of frictional material 34 (for example, a synthetic plastic material, such as nylon), that is mounted in a corresponding recess contained in the nut. This high friction layer is provided to aiford a desired amount of frictional resistance between the nut and the threaded upper end of shank portion 18b. In the alternative, the frictional layer may comprise a layer of adhesive, or the like, coated upon the screw threads.

According to an optional feature of the invention, indicating flag means 40 are mounted on a non-circular portion of the shank beneath the nut to illustrate whether the key member is in the locked (FIG. 5) or unlocked (FIG. 6) position.

In operation, assuming that the cover is pivoted from the open position of FIG. 2 to the closed position of FIGS. 3 and 4, the rounded lower surface of the key portion 18a is inserted within the corresponding non-circular upper portion 28a of recess 28, said key member being properly oriented relative to the upper recess portion as a consequence of the reception by the key aiming recess of the upper part of the key portion. The key member is then axially displaced downwardly against the biasing force of spring 24, whereupon the key member is contained within the lower portion 28b of recess 28. Upon the application of rotary force to the nut 18c by suitable tool means, such as a wrench, the segmented key member 18 is initially rotated until the key portion 18 is in the locked position beneath shoulder 30, as shown in FIG. 6. Upon further rotation of the nut member 180, the nut and key portions are drawn together to firmly tighten the cover upon the body section and thereby compress the sealing gasket 10. It is important to note that the resistance layer 34 eliminates the need for a lock washer for preventing loosening of the device due to vibration, and also prevents accidental opening of the container.

To open the cover from the body section, the nut is rotated in the opposite direction whereby initially the nut is rotated for displacement away from the key portion, and finally the entire key member is rotated to the unlocked position of FIG. 5.

Although the segmented key member preferably comprises a drag nut member threadably mounted on a shank portion as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it is apparent that in accordance with the alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 14, the lower end of the shank 118b may be threadably connected with the key portion 1180:, the head portion 118a being integral with the shank portion. Similarly, in the embodiment of FIG. 15, the shank portion comprises a pair of threadably connected telescopic sections 218b, 218d that are integral with the key and head portions, respectively. In both of these embodiments, layers 134, 234 of frictional material, such as nylon, are provided to afford the frictional resistance between the threadably connected members that is required to effect the initial rotation of the key member to the locked position.

While in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes the preferred form and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is apparent that other changes and modificationsvmay be made in the apparatus described without deviating from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Quick release fastener means, comprising a horizontal upper member containing a vertical through passage;

segmented key means including a vertical shank portion extending through said passage, and head and key portions connected with the upper and lower ends of said shank portion, respectively, at least two of said portions being threadably connected for relative axial movement;

spring means biasing said key means upwardly with respect to said upper member;

a lower member having an upper surface in contiguous engagement with the lower surface of said upper member, the upper surface of said lower member containing a recess communicating with said through passage, said recess including a non-circular upper portion the cross-section of which corresponds with the horizontal cross-sectional configuration of said key portion, and an enlarged lower portion defining at its upper end at least one generally horizontal shoulder surface, said enlarged lower portion including also a vertical stop surface extending normal to said shoulder surface;

said key means having a normally unlocked first position in which said key portion is received in said recess upper portion, said key means being axially shiftable downwardly to a second position in which said key portion is in the enlarged lower portion of said recess;

and operating means operable upon continuous rotation of said head portion in a given direction for initially pivoting said key portion from said second position to a locked third position in which said key portion is beneath said shoulder portion and is in engagement with said stop surface, and for subsequently drawing together said head and key portions to tightly fasten together said upper and lower members, said operating means including drag resistance means arranged to establish friction between said threadably connected portions of said key means.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said shank portion is threaded at its upper end, wherein said head portion comprises a drag nut having an internally threaded vertical bore connected with said shank portion, and further wherein said drag resistance means comprises an internally threaded tubular layer of frictional material mounted within an annular recess contained in said bore between said head and shank portions.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said shank portion is threaded at its lower end, wherein said key portion contains a bore threadably connected with said lower end, and further wherein said drag resistance means comprises an internally threaded tubular layer of frictional material mounted within an annular recess contained in said bore between said key and shank portions.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said shank portion includes a pair of threadably connected telescopic portions, and further wherein said drag resistance means comprises an internally threaded tubular layer of frictional material mounted within an annular recess contained in the bore of the outer telescopic portion.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower surface of said upper member contains a key aiming recess the configuration of which corresponds with the horizontal cross-sectional configuration of the key portion, whereby said key portion is partially received at its upper end in said key aiming recess when the key mem ber is in said first position.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the horizontal key portion has in transverse vertical cross-section a convex lower surface, whereby said key portion is guided during insertion within the recess upper portion.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said upper member comprises the cast cover section of a container, wherein said lower member comprises the cast body sec- 5 6 tion of a container, and further including means connect- 1,958,950 5/1934 Lernieux 24-221 X ing said cover and body sections. 2,839,808 6/1958 Zahodiakin 151-69 X 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, and further where- 2,968,821 1/1961 Morin et a1. 151-7 X in at least one of said sections contains in the surface 3,018,127 1/ 1962 Dobrosielski et a1. adjacent the other section a groove, and further including 5 3,175,452 3/ 1965 Leitner 85-3 gasket means mounted in the groove for compression 3,285,635 11/1966 Whelan 85-4 X between said container sections.

RAMON .S. BRITTS, Primary Examiner 10 U.S. C1. X.R.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 882,050 3/1908 Clough 85-1 X 1,058,435 4/1913 Hyle 85-1 X 

